FARMINGTON — A resident from a development on the city’s west side said city leaders need to hold developers to their word before they approve another phase of a project in his neighborhood.
“If you’re going to approve something, make sure you hold these developers’ feet to the fire,” Jason Snow told members of the city council during a recent meeting, where the issue of granting schematic approval of Phase 4 of the Farmington Estates project arose.
Snow contends developers haven’t kept the conditions from the project’s first three phases, especially in regard to drainage and most recently in regard to plans for a park.
Despite Snow’s concerns, the council voted unanimously to approve the schematic plan but only after setting strict conditions, including the requirement for a detailed drainage plan as the project moves forward.
The approval allows Candland Olsen to move forward with a seven-lot subdivision at approximately 1100 West and Country Lane. Olsen previously had received approvals for the schematic plan and preliminary plat for the project, but his approvals expired as the development agreement expired.
Olsen spoke briefly in a public hearing to remind residents he had sold phase 3 of the project 10 years ago and the project eventually went bankrupt. He said he lost money on the project.
Snow reminded city leaders that Phase 3 came with the promise of a park, but was told the park was taken off the table because of plans for a bigger city park nearby.
“Promises have been made and things were supposed to happen, and they haven’t happened,” Snow said.
The project is in a flood plain area, and city officials talked in the work session before the council meeting, about how efforts to mitigate the problem for the project could potentially shift the drainage problem to adjacent homes.
Lori Palmer said she has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years and has had standing water in her backyard every year. She urged officials to make sure drainage issues are addressed as the project moved forward.
Dave Petersen, director of community development, noted phase 1 of the Farmington Creek project was one of the first on the city’s west side 19 years ago. He said officials have become much more sophisticated in addressing drainage issues now than they were when phase 1 was implemented.
Comments